


I Want to Remember

by theebombdiggity



Series: Til The End of the Line [2]
Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Best Friends, Captain America: Civil War (Movie) Spoilers, Cute, Eventual Fluff, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Romance, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Pre-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Recovered Memories, Stucky - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-09
Updated: 2016-06-28
Packaged: 2018-06-07 08:45:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6797188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theebombdiggity/pseuds/theebombdiggity
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>*ON HIATUS*<br/>Sequel to 'Til the End of the Line! Post The Winter Soldier, may contain spoilers for Civil War!<br/>Steve Rogers has been trying to find Bucky Barnes, until one day he shows up at his apartment in the middle of the night. Will be Stucky!!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Visitor

_It was cold, it had been snowing and the group of Howling Commandos was to take down a HYDRA train. Steve felt the wind against his skin as he slid down the rope to board the train, he was followed by Bucky and the rest of them._  
_They were ready for an attack. The HYDRA guards had heavy-duty weapons with the power of the Tesseract as ammunition._  
_When one blast tore the train open, Steve should have foreseen what would happen._  
_The last time he saw Bucky, he was falling to his death, after reaching for Steve's hand. Steve couldn't help him._  
_He didn't even go back for him._  
_As he watched Bucky fall, he heard, "I won't let anything happen to you, I promise" being said through the wind._  
Steve woke up to his Washington apartment. He was on his back, and had been sweating from his dream despite it being so cold there. His hand was on his bare chest, his heart was pounding, he wore a pair of blue track pants, and through his tossing and turning, the blankets had mostly been kicked off the bed. He closed his eyes again, hoping to get a peaceful sleep when he heard a quiet and hesitant knock on his front door.  
He checked his alarm clock, 2:36. He brushed off the knock, thinking someone may have just bumped into it.  
Just as he was about to fall asleep, there were three knocks again. These were louder but still hesitant.  
He turned over, it was the middle of the night he obviously wasn't expecting anyone at the time.  
Steve was just about to fall asleep once more, when whoever was knocking came back. This time there were five knocks, all loud, and all urgent.  
Steve sighed as he got up, he went to the front room and saw his shield on the couch. He figured he should grab it just in case, so he did then unlocked the door cautiously.  
The first thing he saw when he opened it was the silver shine of a piece of metal. He was glad to have his shield with him now.  
He opened the door all the way with the circular vibranium shield in front of him. He wasn't suited to fight, but the man in front of him didn't have his usual armour on either. He wore a dark jean jacket with a black shirt underneath and black jeans. On his head he wore a black baseball cap over his somewhat long dark brown hair. Steve lowered his shield when the two of them met each other’s gaze, Steve looked concerned, while the man at his door didn’t appear to have any emotion.  
"Bucky?"  
– – –  
Steve had been looking at the file Natasha had given him on Bucky before she left a few days prior. She told him not to pull on this thread, but he knew he had to find him. He had to bring him back. He didn’t remember how he got out of the water after falling from the helicarrier, and Sam said that none of them found him. He knew it had to have been Bucky, he was the only other one there, and if that was true, his old friend was in there.  
He was thankful to have Sam working with him on this, and with this file, at least they had something to work with.  
“So what’s the deal with this guy?” Sam had asked him after Steve decided to look for him.  
“I told you, he was my friend, all this time I thought he was dead.”  
“And now he’s trying to kill us, so why look for him?”  
“I can’t give up. I promised that I wouldn’t let anything happen to him.”  
He had made that promise over seventy years ago, but even now he regretted not keeping it.  
“I also can’t just let him go free to help HYDRA somewhere else,” Steve pointed out.  
Sam nodded in agreement, then asked “How’re you going to get him to remember you?”  
Steve hadn’t really thought that far ahead, “I’ll figure something out.” 

He kept looking Bucky’s file, trying to figure out exactly what happened, why HYDRA used him, how they even found him. Of course that kind of information hadn’t been included, just that he was strong and the only one able to deal with their tests. There had been a picture in the folder of a red journal with a black star on the cover, there was information about the book, but Steve didn’t see its relevance to what he needed.  
Unable to find the answers he was looking for, he decided to take a break from looking.  
He put a record on, and looked at the newer painted spots where bullet holes used to be. The first time he met the Winter Soldier. He walked around his apartment, looking at the posters and pictures he had from World War II and from when he was younger. He stopped to look at a picture of himself and Bucky before the war. Back when everything was right, when most nights they would fall asleep in each other’s arms, when Steve would be quite literally breathless from kissing Bucky when he had asthma. When Bucky would constantly try to make him blush. When they were in love. 

They had both decided to cut off their relationship before they would be going to their training camps. Or rather, before Bucky left. Steve didn’t leave at the same time as him, after all. It was easier to do that than to hide their relationship for the years they’d be overseas, and that way when they came back, they could get back to it. But that never happened. Steve did fall in love again while he was in the army, with a woman, an agent named Peggy Carter. By some luck, she felt the same for him, and the two had planned to go dancing, but that never happened either. He looked at a picture of Peggy and smiled. He was glad to be able to catch up with her again, at that time she was the only one he had known that was still alive, until he found out who the Winter Soldier was.  
Steve sighed, and decided he would draw to pass some time and stop thinking for a while.  
He had a sketchbook lying on his counter in the kitchen, so he pulled up a stool and sat under one of the hanging lights to draw. He let the pencil wander on the page, and didn’t put much thought into what it would create. Before long, he learned that he was drawing a familiar face. One that he has drawn many times before. He recognized a smirk that he gravely missed, and had to put the book down. He thought drawing would take his mind off of Bucky, not put his face right in front of him.  
He looked at the time displayed on the stove across from him, it read 9:30, so he decided to get to sleep early.  
– – –  
"Bucky?" he asked, worried about if this was his friend standing before him, or if it was the Winter Soldier.  
“You’re… Steven?” Bucky had asked in response, instead of answering. He had a notebook in his hand, as well as a pamphlet from the Smithsonian. “I saw you at an exhibit.”  
“Steve,” he replied, it felt weird to him, telling his best friend which name he prefers.  
“I’m... Bucky?” he asked again, in a low voice, looking at the pamphlet.  
Steve figured this was probably more confusing to Bucky than it was for him, they may have both been frozen for however long, but at least Steve didn’t have any memory loss. However, he couldn’t help but smile, knowing that for right now, his friend was there.  
Steve looked over Bucky’s shoulder, making sure his now-CIA neighbour wasn’t there, and moved so Bucky could come into his apartment. He was thankful he had Fury get his place debugged after SHIELD fell, otherwise Bucky being here may be a problem.  
“Can I get you some water or anything?” Steve asked him.  
Bucky nodded, and Steve went to get him a glass.  
“You can take a look around, make yourself at home,” Steve called from the kitchen. He was wary of Bucky being here, but he wanted to let him know that he was welcome.  
Bucky walked past the bookshelves, looking at some of the books Steve kept, there were many World War II books, and some other history books. He walked into Steve’s living room, and saw the pictures in frames on the wall. He saw pictures of the two of them together and he took it off the wall to look at it closer.  
Steve joined him in the living room with the glass of water, and handed it to him. Bucky took it, then put the picture back on the wall.  
“You don’t remember that, do you?” Steve asked him.  
“I… Don’t know.” Bucky paused, and looked at the picture again. He took a drink of his water, then turned to Steve.  
“We were friends.” Bucky stated, though it had the tone of a question.  
“Yeah, Buck, we were best friends.”  
Bucky nodded, “We were more than that.” This statement didn’t have the tone of a question at all. Steve looked at Bucky with complete surprise.  
“Yes.” Was all he could say.  
Bucky nodded and looked at another picture, this one was of Peggy.  
“Who’s she?” He held the picture up to Steve.  
“That’s Peggy Carter. You met her briefly, you made the joke of how you were turning into me because she wasn’t paying attention to you.” Steve said, smiling.  
“Did she like you?”  
“I think so.”  
Bucky put the picture down, “Did you like her?”  
After a moment, he told him, “Yeah, I did.”  
He didn’t know if Bucky would be upset or anything by it. He couldn’t be, he hardly even remembered him.  
“So things did change.” Bucky looked at him, there wasn’t a definite emotion on his face, but Steve thought he could see a hint of sadness. He looked toward the pictures Bucky was standing near. There was another picture that was also displayed at the Smithsonian of them laughing as if they were back in Brooklyn.  
“I-I’m sorry, Buck. I didn’t mean...”  
Bucky looked at him, “You’re the same though. I mean, your personality, not so much your looks.”  
Steve looked back to him, he had a small smile on his face, he figured that Bucky was accepting his apology.  
“You’re a jerk,” Steve told him, still smiling.  
“Punk,” Bucky didn’t know why, but that was the first word that came to mind. “You liked me more, though, right?”  
“You know I did.” Steve said, then to himself thought Still do.  
Cautiously, he went up to Bucky and pulled him into a hug. Bucky stiffened, but then relaxed and put his arms around Steve as well, and for some reason, it just felt right for him.


	2. Like Old Times

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After having second thoughts about allowing Bucky into his apartment, Steve realizes it was actually a good idea. The two of them bond like they once did, and hopefully all will be remembered.

For a brief moment, Steve had second thoughts about inviting his one-time best friend and love interest into his house. He knew that that man was still in there, and parts of him were escaping the shell HYDRA created, Bucky had remembered things about them, but he couldn't ignore the feeling he had.

Bucky was sitting rigidly on the couch. Steve seemed so familiar, yet it was like Bucky was meeting him for the first time. He knew that his mind had belonged to HYDRA, and clearly they wouldn't have kept any of his memories, they couldn't let his personal life interfere with their agenda. But for some reason, when he was talking to Steve, everything seemed normal for once.

"You shouldn't be here." Steve finally said, letting his brain govern him, rather than his heart. Bucky looked up at him, he was pacing the room. "Things changed, you said so yourself, we're not the same people we were seventy-five years ago."

Steve didn't want to have this conversation, he was on the brink of tears just thinking about what would happen if someone found Bucky.

Bucky looked down, so Steve continued, "I mean, look at us, Buck. A week ago, we were trying to kill each other, and before that I thought you were dead. If someone finds you here–"

"I'll disappear," Bucky finished the sentence for him but he didn't look up, "I've had to before, I can do it again."

Steve sighed, this was the best option, but he didn't want it to be. He didn't want Bucky to be on the run for the rest of his life, and he certainly wouldn't want him to leave now.

"Give me the word, and I'll be gone. I just want to know something." He looked up at Steve again.

"What is it, Buck?"

Bucky looked at the Smithsonian pamphlet, and at his notebook that was under it, "Why did they have a wall for me? At the museum."

Steve smiled at him, "I asked them to put it up."

"Why?"

"Because. You're an important part of Captain America's history."

Bucky had a small smile on his face. He took his notebook and a pen to write that down, it seemed to him like something he shouldn't forget.

"Steve?" Bucky started after writing what he needed to, he hesitated with his question, fearing what the answer might be, "Do you… still like me… Like you did before?" He glanced over at the picture of the two of them. He looked back at Steve with a pained look in his eye, the pause from Steve wasn't helping his fear.

Steve sighed and smiled again, "Of course I do."

"Then maybe not a lot changed after all." A smirk appeared on his face now.

"I guess so." Steve sat next to Bucky and put his arm around him. Bucky leaned into him, cautiously resting his head on Steve's shoulder.

"I'm sorry for trying to kill you… You were the… the mission I was given." Bucky said to him. He didn't want to bring it up, but felt he had to apologize.

"Yeah, I gathered that much. I'm not gonna say it's okay, because I'd rather not be dead, especially if you're alive now. I will say that I forgive you though, some others may not, but I do." He sighed, then hesitantly he placed a kiss on Bucky's head, but pulled away quickly.

Bucky sat up straight again then looked at Steve. His face was hard for Steve to read, and immediately took it as a negative response.

"I'm sorry, Buck." Steve looked down, only to feel a metal hand on his jaw, turning his head back toward Bucky.

"Hey," Bucky said calmly, "Don't worry about it." He smirked.

Steve thought back to when they were young, seeing Bucky smirk like that still made him blush, even if he was better at hiding it now. He thought about how he used to become literally breathless when they kissed, and how that wouldn't be a problem anymore. That was one of the first things he thought of when he learned his asthma was cured. In this instance, however, the next thought he had was how ridiculous it was to think that way, considering the man sitting beside him may not even remember him in time.

Bucky didn't know what to think, this was one of the first times he was allowed to think for himself, without HYDRA putting his brain in a blender the second he began to remember. For some reason, when he looked at Steve, everything was normal for him, he felt like he was still in Brooklyn in the forties, helping Steve get over the death of his mother, when he began to realize his feelings for him. Sure, Steve looked different now, but it was his eyes that continued to draw him in. The same blue eyes he had when the rest of him looked so different, the blue eyes that had always drawn him in, ever since he first saw them. He memorized them by now, they had hints of green in them, but you'd have to be up close to see it. He didn't remember how the day on the bridge went, but he was sure he recognized Steve's eyes before anything else.

Before he knew it, his face was inches away from Steve's face. His eyes had truly drawn him in, this time physically. Their noses brushed against each other, both of them still had their eyes open. Both confused, and hesitant.

Steve knew not to close the distance, he had to let Bucky come to him, so he knew it was Bucky, _his_ Bucky. As much as he hated to admit it, this Bucky was unpredictable to him, something that Bucky had never been. Steve knew everything about Bucky when they were growing up, and now it was almost like they had never met before.

As Steve thought of this, he felt Bucky's warm but hesitant lips on his own. He was taken aback, but he didn't fight it, Bucky had come to him after all. Steve closed his eyes, moving more into the kiss, tilting his head to make it more comfortable.

Bucky closed his eyes slowly as well, moving closer to Steve until there was hardly any distance between them at all. There was a new passion in this kiss that Steve wasn't expecting, he could feel the desperation in Bucky, as well as his own desperation. The two hadn't been like this since Bucky left for the war, and neither of them knew how much they truly needed each other.  
Bucky moved his left arm from Steve's face to beside him on the couch. He twisted himself around so his torso was facing Steve now too. He began to move toward him more. Steve got the hint and turned his torso to Bucky as well, leaning back as he did.

Bucky was now over top of Steve, his hair falling from behind his ears and framing Steve's face as their kiss deepened further. Steve put a hand on the back of Bucky's neck, pulling him in.

Bucky broke away from the kiss first, he didn't know what to say, so he just grinned.

Steve smiled back, laughing quietly.

"What's so funny, punk?" Bucky asked, still smiling.

"Nothing, just the situation I guess," Steve smirked, "Was that your first kiss since the war?" Natasha had asked him something similar just a week prior.

"I don't know. I mean, HYDRA kept me hidden for the most part, but I don't know about any personal life I had." Bucky said somewhat solemnly.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you."

"No offense taken, pal."

Steve gave him another quick kiss then said, "You know it's almost four a.m. right?"

"Do you have work tomorrow? I sort of remember a helicarrier landing on the SHIELD building."

Steve sort of shrugged, "Yeah I guess you're right. Though, Sam is probably expecting me to meet him at some point."

"Who's Sam?"

"He's a friend of mine. The one that has the flying gear. He's helping me find you."

"Well you found me. Or, I found you." Bucky chuckled a bit, moving so they could both sit up.

"Yeah, but they can't know that. I can just meet him later in the day," Steve sat up and smirked at Bucky again, deciding to flirt with him. "I mean, if that kiss was any indicator, I'd say we missed out on a lot."

Bucky caught on to his flirting, and smiled back. "I guess you're right."

"I'm sure my bed's a lot more comfortable than the couch."

He stood up, he no longer felt the concern he did earlier, there was more Bucky than HYDRA with him right now, and he hoped it would stay like that since no one was there to make him forget anymore. He didn't think it was wrong to trust him, he believed that Bucky needed him more now than ever. He was more worried that he'd wake up and Bucky wouldn't be there anymore.

"Buck, can I ask you something?"

"Of course," Bucky said, confused but smiling.

"Are you going to be staying here a while?" Steve's concern wasn't hidden in that question, and Bucky heard it. He put his arms around Steve's waist and looked him in the eye.

"I'll be with you until the end of the line," he wasn't one hundred percent sure why that was the phrase that came to mind, but it's the one he said, and it made Steve smile, so it couldn't have been wrong.

Steve put his arms around Bucky as well and kissed him. The passion from earlier remained in this kiss, and the two walked, still in each other's arms, and continuing to deepen the kiss, until they had made it to Steve's room.

Steve of them remembered all the nights they fell asleep in each other's arms, and intended on making this one of them. Bucky remembered it, though it was a clouded memory, as if it was a dream. This night, however, he didn't intend to remember as a dream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoyed this chapter, leave comments if you'd like! I love reading them :D


	3. Longing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky finds out about the file Natasha gave Steve, and about its contents including a book Steve brushed off.  
> Sam gets the truth out of Steve.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for the delay! I got super busy and hardly had time to think about writing!  
> Also this chapter is very dialogue heavy.  
> But as usual, please read and comment! I love reading your comments :D

Bucky woke up in the early afternoon. He was laying on his right side with his metal arm out of the blanket, but over the man who lay next to him. Bucky smiled when he saw the calm look on Steve’s face. He couldn’t remember many details about his past, HYDRA made sure he wouldn’t, but when he saw Steve sleeping, he felt like some of the memories that had been blocked out and blurred had suddenly become vivid. He had seen this calm face before, he had fallen asleep next to Steve on many occasions, but he was only just now remembering it. He smiled again before gently kissing Steve on the forehead and slowly getting out of his bed, cautious as to not wake Steve up.  
He decided to have a look around the apartment before Steve woke up, and if he could find his way around, he’d make breakfast. The afternoon sun was shining in the living room, Bucky squinted when he had left the dark room, but his eyes soon adjusted. He walked over to the record player and looked at the albums Steve had. Everything had looked as if it were preserved from 1940, Bucky smirked. He walked over to the bookshelf to have a better look at what Steve liked to read. There were various World War II books, which he had seen the day before, but there were art books, and pop culture books. Things that Steve must have read when he woke up. Bucky pulled out an old comic book and spent a long time looking at the cover. It was Captain America, the star-spangled man, punching Adolf Hitler in the jaw. Bucky figured it had come out during the war, but it looked as if it were new aside from slight discolouration. He looked away and saw a book on the counter, curious, he walked over to it. It was the sketchbook Steve had been drawing in not too long before Bucky showed up at his door. It was closed, but Bucky flipped through it, looking at all of the drawing Steve had done, some finished, others not. He turned to the last page that was drawn on. It was unfinished, but Bucky knew that it was of him, back when his hair was short and he was clean-shaven. He was amazed by the drawing, he didn’t remember Steve being such an artist. That is, until he took a closer look at the smirk Steve had drawn on his face.  
“Even has that dumb smile,” Bucky said. He remembered this, he remembered saying that exact thing one time when Steve had drawn him. He set the sketchbook down and quickly went over to his backpack to pull out a notebook. Sitting at the table nearby, he wrote, “Steve is an artist. Draws me sometimes, had a dumb smile.” He smiled to himself knowing that he if he had his memory wiped again, he’d at least remember more about Steve.  
He stopped smiling, “Memory wiped,” he repeated aloud. “It’s like I’m a goddamned machine.” He said before slamming a metal fist on the table. He looked at a file that was under his fist, it was in Russian so he looked at it.  
“ _Дeлo_ …” He began, then translated, “Case number seventeen.” He felt uneasy, knowing what was in this file, and wondering why Steve had it. Despite this, he looked through it. He saw pictures of himself from his youth, and in the cryogenic container. Flipping through the photos of himself, and through the records of the testing and training he endured, he came across a picture that made him tense up. It was the red book with the black star, the thing that controlled him, what made him do what he did. Nowhere did he find the words HYDRA used to brainwash him, but even just a picture of the book was enough to make his metal arm twitch. He was angry, he was confused, he wanted answers.  
It was then that Steve came out of his bedroom, “Buck? You still here?”  
“Table.” Bucky finally said through clenched teeth. Even if HYDRA trained him to disregard his emotions, his eyes displayed everything – even when he didn’t want them to. He looked at Steve when he walked toward him. Steve saw the pained look in his eyes, and his smile quickly vanished.  
“What’s wrong?” Steve asked with clear concern.  
Bucky didn’t say anything at first, instead he slid the file to the end of the table then stated,  
“You wouldn’t find this at the museum.”  
“Oh you saw that? Natasha… a friend of mine, gave that to me to find you. Well, she didn’t want me to look for you, but she knew I would.”  
“Do you know about this?” Bucky said, and then pointed at the book when he saw Steve’s confusion at his question.  
“What? That book? I’ve never–” Steve started but before he could say anything more, Bucky slammed his metal fist on the table, causing Steve to jump slightly.  
“Don’t lie to me. Do you know about this?” Bucky repeated.  
“I’ve never seen it before. Buck, I’m telling the truth, I swear. Why would I lie to you?”  
Bucky swore under his breath.  
“What’s the matter? Why is it so important?”  
Bucky looked down, “Let’s just say it’s dangerous in the wrong hands.”  
Steve crossed his arms, “so I’m the wrong hands?”  
“No… Well… Not just you, anybody. Anybody but me, or someone I know I can… trust.” As soon as he said it, he knew he said the wrong thing, he didn’t mean that he couldn’t trust Steve, but there wasn’t a way to take it back.  
He didn’t reply immediately, he looked at Bucky and was clearly hurt over what he just said. Someone he’s known his whole life didn’t trust him.  
“Well,” Steve started, but before he could continue, Bucky tried to fix his mistake.  
“Steve, I didn’t mean –”  
“I’m going for a run.” Steve turned and walked to the door, slamming it behind him when he left. He could swear he heard a frustrated scream coming from his apartment, but he elected to ignore it.  
He decided to run at his usual path, with the various DC monuments in the background. Despite the time of day, he saw a familiar face jogging along the same path.  
Upon hearing the brisk steps advancing toward him Sam called out, “Let me guess, on my left?”  
But Steve said nothing, instead he passed by his friend and fellow Avenger, Sam Wilson.  
He shrugged it off, assuming he just didn’t see him, until it happened a second and third time. Confused by the silence, he decided to pick up the pace to run after Steve. However, knowing Steve didn’t stop at first, and he almost didn’t want to stop at all. When he did, Sam ran up to him, out of breath.  
“You okay, Steve?” Sam asked between breaths.  
“I should be asking you the same question,” Steve replied, laughing lightly.  
“Not what I mean,” Sam told him, after catching his breath.  
Steve played it as if he were confused by the question, “I’m fine, Sam.”  
“Steve,” Sam started firmly, “Ever since you started running this trail you’ve taunted me as you passed. Only time you wouldn’t, I’d assume, would be if you’re upset.”  
“It’s not a big deal, Sam. Just had a fight with someone.”  
“We’ve had fights with a lot of people, Steve, you’re gonna have to be a little more specific.”  
Steve sighed, “I found him. Well, he found me.”  
Sam furrowed his brow slightly, “Oh,” was all he said.  
Steve nodded and Sam stayed silent, thinking of what to say.  
“How did he find you?” Sam asked.  
“He already knew where my apartment was. He shot Fury, remember?” Steve explained, then continued, “Sam, you can’t tell anyone this okay? Know one can know he’s there.”  
“He’s staying at your apartment?”  
“He only just got there last night, it’s not like he’s been there this whole time. He remembered me.”  
“Oh like he remembered you last time.” Sam scoffed.  
“No, this is different, it was like how things… were.”  
Sam’s voice raised as he continued, “So he shows up out of the blue, a week after trying to kill you, and you just let him stay in your apartment because he knows who you are today? What about tomorrow, Steve?”  
“Keep your voice down. Look, I didn’t expect him to show up, but I’ve found out about something in that file Nat gave me. It’s a book, he said it’s dangerous in the wrong hands. What if HYDRA kept notes on him in it? We have to find it.”  
“I guess. If I’m gonna help you with this, I need to get a read on this guy. You may be a little…”  
Steve crossed his arms. “A little what?”  
“Biased.”  
It was true, Steve needed Sam on this, and any opinion Steve had was going to be biased. He truly loved Bucky, and couldn’t bear to see anything bad happen to him again.  
“Fine. We’ll just go back, look at the file again, and go from there.”  
Sam nodded and the two of them went back to Steve’s apartment.  
––--  
When they had arrived, something was different. The window in the living room was open, and Steve knew it wasn’t like that when he left. Maybe Bucky needed some air, Steve thought to himself.  
Sam wandered around Steve’s apartment as Steve checked his room and looked around the other places, as Sam walked up to the table, he saw the file. Next to it, however, was a note.  
“Steve? Gonna want to look at this.” Sam called out, and Steve ran to the kitchen table, Sam handed him the note.

_Steve,_

_I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have even shown up in the first place._  
I didn’t mean that I couldn’t trust you, I’d trust you with my life. For some reason, I feel like I always have. I’m not gone, I just need to get some answers, somehow. Maybe I’ll go back to the Smithsonian, or maybe I won’t. I doubt anyone will know about this book, aside from HYDRA, and that’s what scares me.  
God, I’m writing you a note, how cliche can I get, right? Also, disregard that first part, I’m glad I showed up, but I am still sorry I was a jerk. 

_-Bucky._

_P.S. I took some of my file with me, and also borrowed an outfit._

Steve smirked when he finished the note.  
“You’re not going after him this time?” Sam asked, gauging Steve’s reaction from the note.  
“Nah, he’ll be back. We just need to find out about this book.” Steve looked at Sam, “Think there’s anything left of SHIELD?”  
“Only one way to find out.”  
Sam looked to Steve’s laptop, recalling how all of the files dumped onto the internet from SHIELD and HYDRA were all probably still there, figuring it would be a good start.


End file.
